Winter 2001

What's on your mind? UCAR Forum addresses university concerns

by Bob Henson

More than 100 university scientists and administrators, hailing
from the 66 member institutions and 20 academic affiliates of
UCAR, convened in Boulder on 910 October for the annual
meeting of UCAR members. The meeting has long been a blend of
official business, such as the election of trustees, and more
informal minglinga chance to share ideas and concerns
with faculty colleagues from across North America.

Now part of the members' meeting is the UCAR Forum, a more
structured way for attendees to discuss hot issues. This year's
forum included four breakout groups on a variety of high-
profile topics. Following an afternoon of small-group dialogue,
the chairs for each group presented impressions and suggestions
at the next day's plenary session.

Topics, co-chairs, and recommendations from this year's forum
included:

Education and training (Eugene Takle, Iowa State University;
Roberta Johnson, UCAR Office of Education and Outreach). The image of
atmospheric science among students was a key theme. Many students see
weathercasters on TV and don't realize meteorology is a rigorous science; thus,
they often arrive at college ill prepared in math and physics. Later on, they may
see graduates in computer science earning far more money and disregard the
nonmonetary satisfactions to be had in atmospheric science. An alliance that
includes UCAR, the universities, and professional societies such as the
American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society could
develop content, encourage standards-based instruction, and reach as many K-
12 teachers as possible as early as possible, as part of a continuum of contact
that begins while teachers are still being trained. Another suggestion was e-mail
lists or a Web site to help keep university students and faculty informed of
opportunities in education. Group members reacted positively to the idea of a
summer leadership workshop for undergraduates. They expressed some
concern about how much involvement in large NCAR-based education efforts
was realistic for early-career faculty striving to make tenure.

Information technology (Kelvin Droegemeier,
University of Oklahoma; David Fulker, Unidata; Al Kellie, NCAR
Scientific Computing Division). In NCAR's upgraded
Visualization Lab, the group participated in a live
demonstration of AccessGrid. This collaborative, Internet-based
tool allows groups of people at several sites to hear and see
each other while sharing multimedia displays and presentations.
Since the AccessGrid is not yet a turnkey system, university
participation is limited by cost and maintenance issues. UCAR
could play a role in demonstrating the AccessGrid to
universities and facilitating its spread. In a broader sense,
UCAR and the universities need to address the "five Ms" of the
information revolution: making, moving, managing, merging, and
mining digital resources. The group also discussed computer
science training for future atmospheric scientists. Most
undergraduate curricula require only onea or two programming
courses, and it's still unclear how often the atmospheric
scientists of tomorrow will be building their own code versus
using programs written by others. The group expressed a desire
for community models to be supported at the level of other
shared facilities.

Observational facilities (Ronald Smith, Yale
University; David Carlson, NCAR Atmospheric Technology
Division). One way in which ATD might provide further
assistance to the universities is by offering a chance to test
instruments in the field apart from the demands of a field
program. A break in the NSF/NCAR C-130 flight schedule has made
this possible. The first round of open testing will be
available to university researchers this spring (see
ACE-Asia). The upcoming NSF/NCAR HIAPER aircraft (High-
performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental
Research) will provide an opportunity for instruments to be
developed in concert with the new platform. NCAR is now
exploring the use of interchangeable wing pods that could hold
several hundred pounds of instruments each. As the Electra
Doppler Radar moves to a Navy-managed P-3 aircraft, concerns
need to be addressed about access for foreign investigators
when field programs use military bases. UCAR and the
universities could work together to help validate new satellite
instruments, as is now being planned for the Global Energy and
Water Cycle Experiment. Another UCAR role could be to help
develop standard algorithms for extracting and manipulating the
data gathered by community instruments.

Science thrusts (Christopher Bretherton, University
of Washington; Tim Killeen, NCAR). This session focused on ways
in which the research priorities of NCAR, UCAR, and the
universities can be coordinated and sustained. Workshops hosted by
NCAR are a proven success; next year a workshop will focus
on data assimilation, an area of keen interest. Varying
software protocols from different vendors have impeded
universities from developing common standards for assimilation.
One approach could be for NCAR to help create a "first-pass
methodology." The assimilation workshop and others need to be
as widely publicized as possible to open the door to new
participants. There may also be other ways to use the
connections that already link UCAR, NCAR, and the universities.
The Community Climate System Model is one area where intensive
university involvement is making a difference (see
CCSM). NCAR is now exploring an Earth System Model
Framework that could further enhance collaboration among
university modelers.

The 2002 UCAR Forum will explore issues pertaining to public-
and private-sector interactions. If you have feedback or
suggestions involving the forum, please contact Susan Friberg,
friberg@ucar.edu,
303-497-1658.